Experimentation in Recovery
by Aurora Bluewolf
Summary: Even shinigami are surprisingly human when it comes to trauma . AU Winter's War, Vizards included. Byakuya/Renji, Kensei/Hisagi, Ikkaku/Yumichika, Ukitake/Kyoraku, Ichigo/Rukia, Shinji/Hiyori. Experimental fic. Rated for author's cursing. Depending on how you read it, can have a lot of perspectives. Not Mpreg or intentional yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

So, unless you are a very privileged individual who can see into the future, this experiment is underway. As most of you know, I like to post experimental writings for feedback- and here's the latest one. I should tell you, there are a few caveats with this experiment:

-Since I want to play with subtly, I'm not revealing what happened. Read on and you will understand, but fill in the blanks with your own subconscious ideas on the history. Also, I became very indecisive on what exactly I wanted to happen, but it boiled down to trauma.

-This can theoretically be read as yaoi, shonen ai, or just bromance. I ask nicely that should you comment, be respectful of your fellow readers and please don't insult anyone. The only thing I wish to gain out of this writing (outside a bit of confidence in my writing abilities) is feedback on how this reads.

Setting: Winter War AU- Aizen not defeated, but retreated and regrouped. Vizards replaced respective captains/ additional lieutenants. Sojiro Kusaka (DiamondDust Rebellion) has returned in the most unexpected way.

Interactions or pairings (depending on how you see this):

Toshiro Hitsugaya x Sojiro Kusaka

Shunsei Kyoraku x Jyuushiro Ukitake

Kensei Muguruma x Shuuhei Hisagi

Byakuya Kuchiki x Renji Abarai

Ikkaku Maderame x Yumichika Asayagawa

Shinji Hirako x Hiyori Sarugaki

Ichigo Kurosaki x Rukia Kuchiki

* * *

><p>The rescue had been rather uneventful (well, at least for one of their rescues). Amazingly enough, no surprises outside of the new ally. No unexpected showdowns with kooky sidekicks or ridiculously strong enemies- nope. Not even a visible menacing evildoer to stop them with a monolog of his horrible scheme. Everything had gone down perfectly- and if Toshiro had any mind left to think about it, he would have probed the possibility that Aizen had wanted the Seireitei's forces to retrieve their members from Szayel's lab.<p>

Then again, over forty eight hours of no sleep and sitting in this hard as hell chair had left his back in a mess and his mind in a tizzy. Beside him, Byakuya had apparently dozed off in his patient waiting, and to his other side, Zaraki, Yachiru, and a miserable Ikkaku slouched together against the corner of the Squad four waiting room. Kensei had been in and out from time to time, and Shunsui was soberly staring at the wall from his preferred position on the floor in front of Zaraki. Toshiro was still subconsciously waiting for ruffled pink haori to produce five bottles of sake with an offer for a relaxing drink.

To his amazement, Retsu hadn't shown herself since she'd disappeared into the private healing suites adjacent to their current position. The ever scary and kind Retsu wouldn't even allow the rescuers to see their compatriots after Yamamoto had spent fifteen hours punishing them for the rebellious act of defiance. Breaking into Hueco Mundo without prior approval from the Soutaicho, rescuing traitors (although, anyone with half a brain cell to their name would easily demolish that ruling in light of their friends being captured during a hollow invasion), bringing said traitors back to the Soul Society without prior notice and unrestrained, and worst of all- accidentally slicing off part of the Soutaicho's beard during a fight. In truth, Shunsui hadn't meant to do it- but he accepted his punishment with the same worn down smirk he'd sported for the last five weeks of Ukitake's absence. Despite years of womanizing, there had always been a betting pool favoring the two taichos inclinations. Whether or not it was true had yet to be seen, but Toshiro caught an occasional moment between the two before a meeting with Yamamoto from the corner of his eye. It wasn't hard to see that the peaceful happiness that resounded between the pair could make an entire meeting feel like a trip to paradise.

Toshiro's concentration was broken as the door opened carefully to reveal one of Retsu's squad members scooting out around the taichos to retrieve more supplies. Hitsugaya allowed himself to settle back down with a quick sideways glance to the others. Ikkaku, who'd given a royal beating to the minor hollows that did get in their way during the rescue, hadn't bathed since their return. To be fair, none of them had attended to their own personal needs since their return, but Retsu's squad had kept them well fed and hydrated. Ikkaku, Kensei and Zaraki had taken the majority of the fighting during the rescue. The resulting odor of sweat and rage made for an odd concoction that was certain to garner a scolding retort from Yumichika when he awoke.

Byakuya hadn't said much, if anything memorable, since they'd arrived. When they found the kidnapped captives in Hueco Mundo, he'd been the first to act- breaking the cold prison cells bearing their friends with one thrust of Senbonzakura. He hadn't even looked back at the others as he'd retrieved his unconscious fukutaicho from the freezing floor. Thankfully, as Hitsugaya was grabbing Yumichika, their new masked friend took Hisagi and Shunsui managed to grab Ukitake while nursing a slashed arm.

Hours seemed to elongate into days as they waited for that blasted door to open again. Kensei quietly returned and took a slumped seat next to Shunsui on the floor. Toshiro could tell he'd been taking his frustration out on the training grounds, and didn't blame the man. Kensei seemed uptight about his squad when he'd returned to the Seireitei, but he'd been particularly strict when it came to Hisagi. Perhaps it was because he recognized the young brat he'd saved from the Rukongai that odd day or perhaps because Hisagi seemed to still be utterly infatuated with the older man, but either way- he held Hisagi to a higher grade of perfection.

His train of thought was broken once again as the Squad Four taicho exited the room. She looked at each of the men, who were either waking up from their respective states of mediation or gazing at her with knowledge hungry and battle weary eyes. She hadn't expected all of them to wait so long, but knew better than to bother telling them to go home. Men could be so stubborn some days.

"I believe they will each make a full recovery," She began as they all started to rise from their positions and stretch out their stiff muscles. "But I must insist they stay here for a few more days. I will speak to each of you individually, but you may see them in their rooms." Retsu stepped aside as they filed in quietly. She held her hand to cease Hitsugaya's movements. He peeked around the corner to see his new masked friend, who'd been minimally injured during their fight, standing inside the door frame. As the other taichos quietly slid into the respective rooms in the private quarters usually reserved for fukutaichos and taichos, the three of them gathered in the opening of the door.

"Would you like to tell him now?" Retsu asked with a kind smile towards the young man, who was now holding his cloak in his arms. They'd stumbled across this young man in Hueco Mundo, but his shinigami attire stated his affiliation, and his filched hollow mask covered his face enough for protection. They had to trust him on the fly, and without an offered name, they'd rescued the captives with minimal chaos. For that, Hitsugaya cut him a deal to bring him back to the Seireitei under the assumption he'd been lost on an expedition, or exiled here for another one of Central 46's idiotic laws. His own emotional scars still burning from the loss of-

No.

He wasn't going to progress by bringing it up again. Matsumoto and his friends had been trying so hard to get him to move forward, but he was stagnating again and he knew it. He had to-

The man removed his mask to reveal a beautiful face, unscathed and youthful. Hitsugaya's mind froze in an instant as he retraced every curve of those dark eyes. Those eyes that had been the first friendly eyes to greet him at the academy. Those orbs- which had been filled with laughter during lunch breaks. Those long missed eyes of the first person he would ever call friend outside of his family. The person he'd fought for Hyorinmaru. The person he'd-

"Hello. I'm Kusaka Sojiro. It's nice to formally meet you, Hitsugaya taicho." He said with a prompt, polite bow. Hitsugaya, still partially frozen in shock and hearing nothing but muffled speech, returned a small head nod.

"It seems that the- 'issue' with his zanpakuto has been resolved, and I received word that he is going to be reintegrated into the Shino Academy at the beginning of next semester from Soutaicho." Retsu said as Hitsugaya still remained painfully still. Unease set through Sojiro like a viper's bite, and he began to retract his initial happiness.

"Hitsugaya taicho?" Sojiro asked gently.

"But- I don't understand. I thought- thought you were dead." Hitsugaya blurted out in a trance. Hurt bloomed through Sojiro, mixing with his confusion.

"Actually, Sojiro only appeared in Hueco Mundo a short while ago. It seems all has been forgiven by someone above us, and he has been granted a very generous second chance." Retsu gently pulled Hitsugaya's ear closer to her mouth "Which means he has no memories of his former life." Retsu reemphasized her point by giving Sojiro a reassuring look.

"Yes- of course." Hitsugaya finally regained his mind, snapping himself out of his trance. Sojiro looked a bit more relaxed as Retsu placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and pushed him towards Toshiro.

"Now, we can make arrangements for you to stay-"

"Stay with me." Toshiro demanded suddenly, catching both shinigamis off guard. Retsu, half expecting some kind of reaction from Hitsugaya, smiled gently yet again.

"What do you say, Sojiro?" She asked carefully.

"I'll stay with Hitsugaya taicho." Sojiro replied as he pulled his cloak and mask closer to his body with childish unease decorated with a weak smile. Hitsugaya allowed an internal chuckle to echo through his mind at the reversed positions. He'd forgotten how much he liked feeling odd at Sojiro's offhand statements.

* * *

><p>"Kyoraku." Retsu acknowledged as she entered the darkened room. The tiny candle she'd left had dwindled to near nothing, and Shunsui was slumped between the bed and the chair, his hands barely reaching his long time friend. She'd expected the pink clad taicho to be a little out of sorts from his typical behavior, but this was not the Kyoraku she was expecting. This was a man sincerely worried about his friend. As long as she'd known them, Jyuushiro had always been sick but happy, and Kyoraku had been a womanizing drunk. Right now, she was disappointingly happy that he'd forgotten his sake bottles. Never in all of her days as a taicho had she seen two closer men. Was it love? That was a vague question at best. Love came in many forms, and there had always been a friendly, healthy level of trust between the two.<p>

"Did it act up again?" Kyoraku asked on an almost robotic level. Retsu wasn't expecting that tone to ever inhabit Shunsui's voice.

"That's something I wish to speak to you about. It seems" She sighed as she took a seat next to the pair on the bed, slightly crowding it. "that not only did Aizen's forces experiment on Ukitake taicho, but the disease is gone." She announced carefully. Over 150 years of treatment, and what did she have to show for her efforts against Ukitake's lungs? Nada. Yet in a fortnight, Aizen's forces had not only cured the beloved taicho of his affliction, but had added something. What exactly, she was unsure- but it had diverted enough of a blood flow from his thoracic artery and had integrated itself into his body completely.

"It's gone?" Kyoraku asked, his weariness showing his shock despite his haggard eyelids drooping by the second.

"As far as I could tell, it has vanished from his lungs. As well as the scar tissue. But, I should tell you, Aizen-" Retsu started.

"What'd he do to Jyuu-chan?" Kyoraku blurted out awkwardly.

"He implanted something inside Ukitake's body. I will need to do some more tests when he is awake, and perhaps he can recount what happened during his captivity. But until he awakes, we will just have to wait." Retsu announced as she lifted herself from the bed and gently took the candle from its position while heading towards the door. "If you'd like, the bed can hold two. That chair won't be comfortable in the morning."

* * *

><p>Retsu peaked into Yumichika's room, but seeing as the triple threat of waking a slumbering Zaraki, Yachiru, and Ikkaku was well presented, she quietly slipped the door shut. Although, the sight of Yachiru drooling on Ikkaku's head while the bald man half draped himself over Yumichika's bed was a priceless sight. Morning would tell a different tale from the beauty of Squad Eleven.<p>

* * *

><p>Kensei was in better shape than the rest of the heroes. He had taken his standing position next to the unconscious Hisagi. Retsu gently nudged him as his attention stopped taking inventory of potential injuries and how to improve Shuuhei's fighting style to prevent this next time. Well, who was he kidding- it could have been prevented if the hollow invasion hadn't happened at three in the morning, or if the four targeted shinigami's hadn't been targeted in the first place, or if the alarm hadn't gone off after they'd been captured, or if their zanpakuto hadn't been left behind while-<p>

"Kensei." Retsu said gently, breaking his internal rant.

"Eh." He responded gruffly. At least he'd taken the time to bath to some degree before coming to see Hisagi. Retsu hadn't paid attention to the smell too much until she was away from the men, but now that she had a chance to breathe, she realized how bad it smelled.

"His injuries were minor, but he seems to have undergone the same experimentation the others endured." Retsu replied.

"What kind of experimentation?" Kensei asked, more out of stoic curiosity than visible concern. The last thing he wanted was for these four to end up like the Vizards. Sure, they were powerful, but the idea of something being forced on his favorite fanboy left a sour taste in the back of his mouth.

"I can't say for sure. I could say what it looks like, but confirmation is limited at best right now. I will see what information I can glean from them in the morning, but Shuuhei's injuries are minimal. You shouldn't expect any difference in his physical performance." Retsu returned, knowing that the fukutaicho's abilities in the field were just as precious as his abilities in the office. Kensei had always placed an exceptional emphasis on physical abilities from his squad, and Hisagi had worked ridiculously hard to remain in Kensei's good graces. He wouldn't tell the brat, but he wouldn't have booted the tattooed fukutaicho just for being a little behind since the whole betrayal.

"But… he's not going to become one of 'us', right?" Kensei growled out as his fist clenched.

"As far as I can tell, no. Though, I will have to wait until he's awake to truly see." Retsu replied.

"Well, since we aren't sure, I'll stay with him for the night." Kensei said as he took a heavy seat next to the slumbering fukutaicho. Retsu allowed herself a small chuckle as she admired the large man.

"If you get stiff, the bed can easily hold two."

* * *

><p>Kuchiki was the last person to see. His quiet wake at Abarai's side told much of his typical, ramrod straight personality. Stiff postured and silently meditating, he sat next to his fukutaicho with his standard look of disdain.<p>

"Kuchiki taicho." Retsu addressed formally.

"Unohana taicho." He replied.

"I expect a full recovery, but the experimentation in Hueco Mundo took its toll on his body. He will need to remain under my care for a few more days." Retsu explained calmly.

"Will it affect his ability to carry out his duties?" Byakuya asked briskly.

"No, but I need to understand exactly what they placed into all four of their bodies. It doesn't seem to hurt them, but it is redirecting a large flow of blood. Removal may not be an option." Retsu replied.

"I see." Byakuya returned.

"If you get tired, the bed can-" Retsu began he partially memorized speech.

"No thank you. I just wanted to see if I needed a replacement fukutaicho. I will take my leave." Byakuya said as he turned to leave. Retsu brushed this off this briskness of his statement, but caught the sight of Byakuya's scarf slipping off of the bedside table.

* * *

><p>Ok, end of chapter 1. Please leave a review if you don't mind, but be polite. I've always found that the best advice is delivered with a polite tongue and a well thought out message.<p>

I must confess, the whole Marius thing got me down about half way through this chapter, so it may be up for tiny rewrites in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

A major thanks to everyone who reviewed. Some of you made me blush! And since I'm facing virtual imprisonment in my room for a few weeks, we'll probably see more updates in the near future.

Please review if you don't mind! They really make me happy~

I don't own Bleach, it is simply serving as a canvas for a greater purpose.

* * *

><p>The Squad ten barracks were silent as the pair made their way towards Hitsugaya's personal quarters. Sojiro kept close to the silver haired taicho in these unfamiliar surroundings, knowing that he didn't want to cause any more trouble than he already had. As they reached a large wooden door, similar to the endless rows of others that lined the hallways, Sojiro felt another wave of uncertainty wash over him as Hitsugaya unlocked the private quarters. The silver haired taicho disappeared into the darkness of the room with a quiet motion to follow him. Sojiro obeyed silently, still maintaining the death grip on his tattered cloak and salvaged hollow mask.<p>

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the lit candle Hitsugaya picked up as he entered. The smaller taicho's quarters were admirable, especially to someone who'd only lived in the creepy white halls of Hueco Mundo for as long as he had. Sure, Syazel's lab was huge, but it never felt like a home. To be fair, he hadn't been alive long enough to know exactly what a home felt like, but he wanted to be part of it. Especially after hearing Nel talk about it. Despite the fact that she was a pure hollow and he was only masquerading as one (Syazel had insisted that he wear one of the smaller hollow masks left over from his experiments, which was justified by the hungry looks he garnered from the hollows. There was no secret amongst the Espada- he was Syazel's pet shinigami, and he would make a tasty meal when the mad scientist was done with him.) she was often very kind to him when they crossed paths.

"This will be your room." Toshiro said as he gently opened the door to a cold room. Toshiro didn't have many guests in his time as taicho, so this room usually received little to no attention from month to month. Toshiro quietly entered the room and pulled out the spare futon and heavy blanket from the closet.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya taicho." Part of Toshiro cringed as the quiet words escaped the lips of his former friend. That tiny voice sounded nothing like the vibrant man he'd called friend, and it grated on his ears.

"Please, between us, call me Toshiro." Hitsugaya requested quietly, trying not to let the memories of the academy thrash in his brain. He'd forgotten how many times he'd told Sojiro to call him by his family name- and yet, here they were, roles reversed. At this rate, he half expected to come in the morning to a sober Matsumoto holding all of her paperwork completed and in proper order.

Yeah, right. He'd kiss Yamamoto on the lips if that ever happened.

* * *

><p>Yumichika was expecting to wake to cold floors and walls. He was expecting more arrancars grabbing his arms and forcing him to the floor as the pink haired monster stabbed him with another injection of Kami knows what. He expected another day of gut wrenching pain at the hands of Syazel.<p>

He wasn't expecting to awake to a soft bed and comfortable blankets wrapped around him, or the subtle shine of a certain bald head through his eyelashes as he peeked into the quiet darkness surrounding them.

By comparison to his expectations, the smell oozing off his saviors was a welcomed relief. Even as his nose twisted into a figure eight, he forced his unusually heavy eyes open to see his friends. The first sight was Ikkaku's bald head being partially consumed by Yachiru's drooling mouth. A tiny glance to the left revealed Kenpachi leaning against the wall in what could only be defined as a slouching bear position.

Yumichika gently pushed himself up on his numb arms, his mind barely registering why they were numb. The sun was barely peaking over the buildings in the distance as he gently ruffled his sweat hardened hair from his face. His lungs still hurt from the last experiment under the arrancar's care. He vaguely recalled the beating he took from the pink haired psychopath, and the disgusting sound of his ribs giving out under the pressure of the tentacles crushing him. What was worse, the arrancar had taken the time to mock him about his looks. With no clothing to block the hungry eyes of the scientist's subordinates, Yumi was certain he wasn't the only one feeling rather exposed. Their cold, clammy hands would grip his nude body and crush any physical resolve he had left in a matter of minutes- assuming he allowed his mind to slip. Thankfully, he was so drugged through the most humiliation; he could barely fight back with any true passion. Perhaps, if Retsu was kind enough not to report it, he wouldn't have to deal with Kenpachi and Ikkaku finding out. The inner shame would be the death of him long before Kenpachi threw him out of the 11th Division and Ikkaku scoffed at him for being so weak.

He gently pushed himself into an upright sitting position as he did his best not to wake the rough trio. A rare moment of quiet amongst the 11th Division was much appreciated to the 5th seat's ears.

Yumichika's inner rambling was interrupted as Unohana taicho quietly opened the door. She quietly stepped over to the unoccupied side of Yumi's bed, bringing a small box of bandages and salves to clean his injuries. He hadn't taken into account the extent of the physical damage when he awoke. The memories of the psychological torture was enough to keep him distracted. For Yumichika, the pink haired monster chose to torment him about his insecurities towards himself and the 11th Division. He even pried into his relationship with Ikkaku- taunting the beauty with the fearful facts: Ikkaku would never accept him with a kido type zanpakuto. Every day, quiet whispering throughout his cell of how weak he was, and how he wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for Ikkaku. Threatening little hushes of the life he had before he ran with the bald man.

"Good morning, Asayagawa." Unohana taicho hushed as she began cleaning his wounds, doing her best not to wake the slumbering trio. Though the subtle ceasing of snores indicated that Kenpachi was awake, they didn't want to wake the remaining two.

"Good morning, Unohana taicho." Yumichika replied in a quiet, robotic manner. He held his arms up as she unwrapped his chest and began to heal his ribs again. They hadn't managed to complete the treatment the night before, mostly due to limited staff and overall damage limiting what they could heal in one session.

"Your wounds are healing nicely. You should be able to return to Division Eleven by the end of the week." Retsu spoke, still keeping her voice very low. They both knew that Kenpachi was either biding his time to keep Yachiru asleep, or was listening in on the conversation. Despite his brash exterior, Kenpachi was a smart guy. He knew that the beauty wouldn't tell him anything about what happened in Hueco Mundo, so if he wanted to figure anything out, he'd have to listen in.

"I take it the…'experiment'- was removed?" Yumichika asked, unsure of what exactly happened back there. Then again, he was half certain he didn't want to know what happened under the pink haired monster's care. He'd seen enough corpses hanging in Syazel's lab to solidify any urge to learn what the hell had gone down.

"Unfortunately, no. It's integrated into your body. I cannot remove it safely until I speak to Tenjiro. And even then, it seems to have… odd properties. I need his opinion before proceeding forward." Unohana said as she closed his robe over the healed flesh. Yumichika introverted back into his quiet mind as she replaced her tools and carefully began to move out of the room.

"Oh, and Zaraki taicho?" Unohana spoke again, making the large man perk his head up from his feigned slumber.

"Yes?" He replied, not bothering to lower his voice as Yachiru awoke with an eye rub and a yawn.

"No fighting for Fifth seat Asayagawa until further notice. I will require him to join the others for testing until we decide on a plan." She said as she gave her tools to the waiting attendant.

"Yes ma'am" Kenpachi replied, eyeing her with a proud smirk as she exited the room.

"Zaraki taicho." Yumi blankly spoke as Kenpachi rose from his position and stretched out his muscles.

"Feathers is ok!" Yachiru said as she detached her mouth from Ikkaku's head and crawled up on the bed to Yumichika's gentle embrace. He was used to her getting clingy after he disappeared for a while, but she did that with Ikkaku and Kenpachi as well.

"Hello, Yachiru." Yumichika greeted with a fake smile. Shit, it'd been so long since he'd last faked a smile, smirk or snicker, he'd almost forgotten how to do it. His muscles refused to agree with him as he forced them upwards, straining from his effort. Oh, the wrinkles he'd face when all this blew over.

"Yeah, yeah. Finish the mushy stuff. We gotta get goin' and fruitcake needs his rest. He's got a lot of training to do when he's back up. Ikkaku!" Kenpachi growled. Ikkaku snapped out of his slight trance against the side of Yumi's bed and looked towards his taicho.

"Yes sir!" Ikkaku replied quickly.

"Get yer ass to the showers and stay with Fruitcake for the rest of the day. Yer useless to me when he's not around." Kenpachi said as he brushed the dirt off of his haori. Yachiru gave Yumichika one last hug before detaching herself from his chest and hopping onto Kenpachi's back.

"Yes sir." Ikkaku agreed.

"Bye Feathers! We'll see you later!" Yachiru said as Kenpachi exited the room. As they left, Ikkaku's silent, sympathetic frown turned towards his best friend.

"So… um… How are you feeling?" Ikkaku forced out.

"I'm-I'm ok." Yumi said as he curled into his own lap. Ikkaku hauled himself out of his slouching position and seated himself on the bed.

"Does anything hurt?" Ikkaku asked as he looked up and down Yumichika's exposed body. The robe covered a fair bit, but he could still see a bruise here and there. When they'd recovered the beautiful man from Hueco Mundo, he had lacerations and bruises everywhere. Ikkaku barely recognized him after they returned to the bright skies of the Seireitei. When they had a few minutes to observe their rescues, Ikkaku noticed the large cut that ran through his friend's midsection. He originally wrote it off as a war wound, but after overhearing the conversations Unohana was having with the other taichos through the walls while he feigned slumber, he was starting to second guess his thoughts. What if something that monster did killed Yumichika? His friend wouldn't die in such a pitiful way! Yumi was a proud member of Division 11! He'd die in glorious battle, just like all warriors should!

"No. Not really." Yumichika finally replied. Ikkaku decided to make his move, wrapping his hand around Yumichika's and pulling the feathered beauty into a warm embrace.

"I…shit- I got scared when you didn't come." Ikkaku admitted. Truth be told, he actually ended up getting slapped by Kenpachi when he freaked out. He had every right to freak out after his friend had been kidnapped by Aizen for- well, who the hell knows exactly what?

"I'm sorry." Was all Yumichika could say.

"Ruri'iro was scared too." Ikkaku said as he kept holding the lighter man. Yumichika's eyes shot wide open as he gasped unintentionally. He tried to shove Ikkaku away, but failed as the stronger man held him in place.

"You- you know?! How'd you find out?" Yumi gasped as he tried his best to fight.

"Hozukimaru told me. They talk. A lot." Ikkaku said as he kept his grip firmly around the beauty.

"How… How long?" Yumichika asked after a few minutes of flailing resided to him being pressed against the larger man's covered chest.

"Years, Yumi. And I know why you're scared, but you don't need to be. Ya ain't getting' kicked out of old Squad 11. Kenpachi already knew, and he doesn't care." Ikkaku paused for a moment to let Yumi regain a sitting position that didn't pull him forward as much.

"He… he knows too?" Yumichika stuttered as frustrated tears poured from between his eyelashes.

"Yeah. Gave me the preachy speech about you still being the fourth strongest in the Squad, and that you're the only one who can file stuff properly. Your secret's safe with the three of us." Ikkaku said as he brushed his fingers along the hem of his friend's white robe.

"And what about us?" Yumi forced out the difficult question.

"What about us?" Ikkak returned in question.

"Are you ok with me and- all of this?" Yumichika tossed his hand off to the side as he spoke, creating emphasis on his current state of mind as the watery tears stifled themselves.

"Seriously? Yumi, I've been good with this for years. I wouldn't leave you if you turned into a hollow tentacle monster and started making balloon animals." Ikkaku said as he pulled the smaller man into another hug and pressed his lips into the side of the mussed hair. Yumichika may not have noticed, but he'd been waiting about twenty years too long to do that. Yumi reciprocated, wrapping himself around Ikkaku for a moment before pushing his head towards Ikkaku's ear.

"Ikkaku?" He said.

"Yeah?" The bald man replied.

"You stink."

* * *

><p>Shuuhei had not awakened by the time Kensei rose from his chair. It was early morning, and he knew he had to return to the barracks before Mashiro destroyed the place looking for him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should even consider leaving. What if the kid turned into a hollow? Would Retsu follow through the same orders given to deal with every new hollow? Would he lose his favorite fan to the same damnable condemnation Aizen had bestowed on him? Maybe the hyperactive 'super lieutenant' wouldn't destroy the entire Division Nine barracks searching for him if he was a little late.<p>

"Taicho." Shuuhei's voice snipped through the rising blue light of the morning sun. Kensei turned towards the oddly serious eyes of his subordinate. He'd never thought he'd see emptiness in Shuuhei's eyes, having grown so used to seeing them so happy and full of energy in the previous months. He approached the younger man quietly, placing his gloved hand on the kid's brow.

"Hey. You're lookin' better." Kensei tried, failing at starting a conversation with the man he'd allowed to enter his small circle of 'friends'.

"I'm sorry for sleeping late." Shuuhei started. Kensei chuckled at the younger man, knowing very well that the early riser was ashamed when he fell ill or drank too much with his friends (or with Kensei) and slept too late. As the younger man began to sit up, Kensei placed a free, rough hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down on the mattress.

"Don't be. You've been through hell, and Unohana will want to take another look at your injuries. Right now, you've every reason and right to sleep the day away." Kensei said flatly as he unconsciously readjusted the sheets around the younger man.

"And when you are released, you are under the same restrictions as the other three. No combat until further notice." Unohana said as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her. Kensei moved from the sitting position against the bed to allow Unohana access to the patient. He bowed politely as he exited, waving to Shuuhei as he slipped out the same door.

"Unohana taicho." Shuuhei said as she began untying his robes. The same large wound that Syazel had sewn into all four of them decorated his front, carving painfully into his abdomen.

"Stay still. There is major muscle group damage, and you need your strength. Now, do you have any questions?" Unohana asked as she began slowly healing the wound. Shuuhei thought for a moment as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"What the hell did he do to me?" The question came out like poison on his tongue. Unohana had expected the others would have the same question, but Shuuhei was the first to ask.

"He seems to have inserted a living space capable of sustaining life. It's so well integrated, standard removal techniques would guarantee death by blood loss." Unohana began.

"So he shoved something into me that-that-" Shuuhei began to panic.

"No. It's not like a woman's. It's essentially a space for parasitic life to be inserted. It does not seem that it can generate life on its own. We believe, based on Kusaka's recollections, that Syazel was planning on inserting small hollows into the four of you, allowing them to siphon off the denser reishei inside of your bodies, and then remove them for other experiments. There was no intention of forming new life." Unohana stated as she finished repairing the wound. She refastened the robe around Shuuhei's front, who now looked like he was about to cry.

"So… I'm not a freak?" Shuuhei asked while maintaining an unnoticeable death grip on his sheets.

"Not at all. I will speak to Tenjiro soon, and we will decide on the best method of removal. Until then, please do not take any chances. Rest well." Unohana said as she began to make for the exit.

"Unohana taicho?" Shuuhei began again. She stopped for a moment and turned towards him.

"Yes, Hisagi fukutaicho?" She replied.

"Thank you." He said as he fell asleep again.

* * *

><p>Unohana had finished Renji's repair last night, and knew that she didn't need to visit the young lieutenant before lunch time, but she peeked in anyway. Curled on his side with his fingers firmly wrapped around the white scarf was a heavily tattooed man. Retsu couldn't see his face well enough, but she could tell that Renji must have woken earlier to pull the scarf close to him. The unspoken bond between the cold taicho and the red head was strange, but at least Abarai was sleeping without another dose of sedatives.<p>

* * *

><p>Jushiro had been turned into Shunsui's care by midmorning, and thankfully had healed well during the night. He didn't want to return to Ugendo with his family and staff fretting over his unplanned vacation in Hueco Mundo- knowing them, chances were he'd never get a single moment of rest. But Shunsei had refused to leave his side during the night, and he assumed he'd worried his best friend so much, leaving him now would just be cruelty. Shunsui made sure to make Jushiro comfortable in the sanctity of his own taicho quarters, well away from the incessant noise and bother of the crowds, before going to take a shower.<p>

He returned to find Jushiro sleeping soundly in rumpled blankets between the mounds of pillows he kept in his bedroom. He slipped over to his best friend's side, assuming a sitting position.

"You have no idea how worried I was when I found Sogno no Kotowari left in your quarters. And you'll probably never know how much I plotted and planned for the rescue. Shit, you'll probably laugh when you hear I didn't drink one drop of sake while you were gone. What's worse…" Shunsui ceased his whispered rant as Jushiro's breathing took a moment too long to continue. When the pace evened again, he carefully continued.

"What's worse, I doubt I'll ever be worthy of the same positions you are. I know I don't say it, and I know I play it off a lot, but life just doesn't make sense without you here. I can't even turn a corner without looking for you these days. I'm pathetic sometimes." Shunsui finished as he quietly lay down on the bare floor beside his best friend. His stomach growled gently, mostly because he hadn't been eating well during Jushiro's absence. Ok, he'd kinda forgotten to eat, but now his stomach made itself well known. Exhaustion took hold as his arm found its way under his head, propping himself up just slightly as he slipped into the restful slumber. They'd eat later, right now; sleep was too tempting in the ever quiet quarters of Division Eight.

* * *

><p>So, totally unbetaed. If you see some terribly erroneous issue, please let me know politely. I'm human after all (though there are days I wish I wasn't) and I make mistakes. As for the organ thing- yeah, not making this mpreg. Until later, walk away with the disturbing idea of Syazel shoving vampire hollow lizards into people's stomachs!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

The usual: I don't own, this is an experiment, I'm human- therefore I make mistakes, if you see one, please let me know politely and I'll fix it. I'm unbetaed. Please let me know what you are thinking while you read this. It's kinda important to how I can improve and how I can learn to write things I've never (thankfully on this round) experienced.

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon when Byakuya was able to return to the Division Four rooms. He quietly passed the multiple entry level shinigami who were assigned to clean the rooms and change sheets, nodding to a few who were turned towards him. His silent escape from the masses was cleared by a guarded door, where members of the First Division where refusing to move from their steadfast post. He made his way down the silent hallway to the room that held Renji. Certainly the redhead was conscious by this hour of the day. Renji had always been an exceptional choice for his second in command, and he was prestigiously proud that Rukia had led him to such an excellent, albeit occasionally silly, lieutenant.<p>

Zabimaru's wielder was sitting up when Byakuya entered the room. His unnerving silence was bristling to say the least, leaving the taicho to cough to get his attention. Renji slowly turned towards his captain with an unusually solemn façade, one that made Kuchiki taicho almost shiver in concern (almost). His hair wasn't tied in his typical upwards pineapple style, but in a low, loose hold with a black tie; and he was wearing a white standard robe given to all of the patients here at the fourth division.

"I see you're awake." Byakuya tried. It wasn't like he normally needed to speak to injured men that worked so closely under him. Rukia often joked that his bedside manner was colder than Hyorinmaru.

"Yes, sir." Renji replied with unusual coldness. Byakuya didn't like it. In the few years he'd known the blazing redhead, he'd never seen the man this out of sorts. This wasn't the Renji he was used to listening to about his previous night of drinking, or challenging him to another round of sparring to better his bankai (not that the taicho minded, it honed his own skills along with the redhead, and Renji was one of the few people in the entire Seireitei that could hold his own against the prestigious man).

"Do you wish to return to the division's barracks?" Byakuya spoke again. Renji was silent for a few moments, as if he was weighing his options before answering.

"Why?" The redhead growled in a low whisper, detest seething through his voice.

"Because we thought you would be more comfortable in familiar-" Byakuya began.

"No. Why are you asking me back? Why this?" Renji barked as he thrust the silk scarf towards the stagnant taicho. Byakuya sighed in frustration as he took a seat beside the redhead's bed.

"You earned that when you defeated me. You earned your place in our division when you showed me what a real man does to fight against an unfair ruling. You and Ichigo Kurosaki changed the way the way we think, exposed a criminal mastermind who used my family as a pawn, and withstood every undeserved punishment that went with that. If anything, you've earned everything you deserve- more good than bad. And, between us, you and Rukia are practically family- which makes you part of my family. If you think a little incident, well out of your or anyone else's control, will affect your position as my lieutenant, then I will have to fix that." Byakuya said as he gently wrapped the silk scarf around the redhead's neck, using it to pull him closer. Renji couldn't argue as he was pulled towards the older man. Byakuya Kuchiki wasn't a man you argued with, and the little speech he'd just given was flattering to say the least. Between the exhaustion and the medication Unohana had given him earlier, he could barely sit up straight. His back gave away as he plunged directly into his taicho's chest, where an irritated Byakuya had to roughly shove him back up without hurting the man.

"Apologies, sir." Renji said as he forced himself upwards again, his muscles whining against the movement with growing agitation. The bed was far too soft for his toughened back, refined by years on the ground of the Rukon earth, and his mind was too far gone by his shattered resolve. He'd spent hours refining his thoughts and battling his inner demons over his position, Rukia, Byakuya, and who he really was. He was not the warrior Zabimaru wanted him to become, the friend Rukia needed, or the lieutenant Byakuya wished for- until that damnable man had just stepped into his room and blasted his well thought out arguments to pieces without even trying. He could feel Byakuya's fingers pulling him from the bed by the wound scarf, and lead him towards the door. He barely registered the acknowledging glance from Unohana, the quick send off instructions on sterilizing the wound, and the flash step to the sixth division's now quiet barracks. He recognized something about the rest of the squad out drinking, and Byakuya's orders to grab what he would need from his room. He didn't argue as he tossed the few things he wanted to bring with him (outside of standard issue uniforms and socks) and quietly followed the older man towards the Kuchiki mansion.

* * *

><p>He hadn't planned for this.<p>

Since their return, he'd basically been giving the ever quiet Kusaka the simplest of simple jobs around the office, just to keep him up and moving. He didn't want to seem like a bad host or friend by ignoring him, but this new, gentle Kusaka was becoming harder and harder to deal with. Memories of their time in the academy had left Toshiro longing to pick up where they left off- joking with no regrets or reason to hold their tongues, or trying to ignore the constant annoying questions by the ever nosy lieutenant (who had taken a disturbing liking to the idea of her taicho having a sleep over with the new guest). He should have foreseen Matsumoto and her girlish ideas- but he'd forgotten how much he'd missed just having a friend around. Sure, he had other taichos who'd speak to him about business (unless you asked Ukitake or Kyoraku, but they were just very friendly towards the younger taicho), but having Kusaka there was reopening a whole world of freedom! He could speak about Hinamori's taunting, or Matsumoto's drunkenness, or when Ukitake overwhelmed him with piles of candy that he just didn't like- without it getting back to them. Sure, he liked his comrades, but the annoyances of everyday life with them were pressing his slowly dissolving patience. Kusaka was a much welcomed reprieve.

Thankfully, the other man had taken a bit to sit, and had fallen asleep during his short break. Toshiro had only noticed a few minutes ago, and decided to watch the peaceful display for a second or two. The drip of ink form his brush splashing against the now ruined document awoke him from his odd stare, much to his silent embarrassment. He quickly discarded the funds document and selected another copy, quickly redoing his handiwork. The last thing he need was for-

"Taicho!" Matsumoto's shrill cry came from outside his door before the blonde woman slammed the door open. Out of the corner of his glare, Hitsugaya could see his friend jumping awake from his doze. Guilt washed over his stomach in a clench as he heard his friend arise from his prone position.

"Yes, Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya grumbled as he rubbed his cheek in annoyance.

"Hollows in District 86. They say it's urgent! Menos Grande and possibly an Arrancar!" Matsumoto responded. Hitsugaya was out of his chair in a split second as he and Matsumoto headed for the entrance. Before his mind got away from him, he turned to hold his hand up to Kusaka.

"No. You stay here." Hitsugaya ordered quietly.

"But, I can help!" Sojiro returned. Hitsugaya clapped a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"No. You stay here and relax. You've been through enough, and I can't compromise you again." Toshiro requested. Kusaka was lost for words as his tongue caught against the roof of his dry mouth and his heart sung to his ears in a slow thumping rhythm. Hitsugaya taicho must have been a sorcerer in another life, because his head was nodding against his will as he stepped back towards the office.

"Yes…sir." Kusaka responded quietly. Part of it irked Hitsugaya beyond all reason, mostly because the Kusaka he remembered was a loud, confident man who wouldn't have taken such an order if he was fit to fight; but today would just have to be marked as another oddity. The taicho turned quickly to the muffled giggles of his second, holding back a potential ice blast to cease her annoying noises.

* * *

><p>Ikkaku heard the warning bells go off, but for the first time in- shit, he couldn't remember that long ago- he decided not to run towards them. He stayed steadfastly planted in his washed pants as Yumichika stared at him with an odd look.<p>

"What?" The bald man asked combatively as he held his zanpaktou in its typical position leaning against his shoulder. Yumichika's eyes darted towards the direction of the bells, and then back to him.

"Aren't you- you know?" Yumi asked as the situation grew more awkward. He'd known Ikkaku for far too long, and the warrior wouldn't have passed up a chance to fight, even if his best friend wasn't able to.

"I think they have enough people to handle it. Besides, my presence is better spent with you right now." Ikkaku stated bluntly as he eyed his cooled tea. Yumi loved this sweet crap, but he hated most tea with enough passion to fill Hozukimaru's meter in a moment.

"But, what if it's… you know." Yumichika asked with his eyes averted. Ikkaku growled in annoyance.

"If they're after you, then they'll have to fight me long before they lay a hand on you." Ikkaku replied, closing his eyes as he slumped back against the wooden frame of the door.

"Of course." Yumichika affirmed, relief painting his shoulders in a relaxed drop. Ikkaku didn't miss the blocked touch of Ruri'iro Kujaku. He wouldn't call the brat on it, but having such a powerful ally would be great if that Arrancar wandered this way. It didn't take much to decipher that the original attack had been set to separate the wielders from their zanpaktou's while their guard was down. If they'd been awake, there was an excellent chance that the battle would have gone down much differently. Ikkaku could just imagine the victorious look of Yumichika in his night robe standing on top of a pile of hollow's, prissily huffing about how his hair was unkempt thanks to the fight. And even better, he could jokingly daydream about Yumichika dragging him out for a midnight spa visit, just out of his royal annoyance at having to fight such a beast at such an hour. 'Oh, the nerve of those damn hollows! Attacking at night! Don't they know about beauty sleep?! Kami, my skin is so stressed!'

"Ikkaku." Yumichika's voice came through his daydreaming haze. He looked over to see Yumichika getting up.

"Yeah?" Ikkaku wondered outloud.

"Let's go." Yumichika ordered as he tucked Ruri'iro Kujaku into his sash. Ikkaku jumped up from his sitting position.

"Now, wait just a second!" Ikkaku protested. Yumichika turned back to him, stunned at the odd outburst.

"What?" Yumi tried.

"You're under bed rest orders from Unohana until further notice. Ya can't- no, shouldn't fight right now! Especially if there is an Arrancar out there! He's probably after you guys!" Ikkaku voiced. He swore he regretted those words as soon as Yumichika's hand met his face in a harsh slap.

"So I'm useless now?! Is that it?! A useless pretty bird you can keep cooped up in here!" Yumichika growled. Ikkaku grabbed his wrist before another slap could land.

"No, I just think ya should follow Unohana's orders. And I don't want ya in the way of that crazy again!" Ikkaku returned. Yumichika found the argument rather difficult to provide as he was pulled back into their room and shoved onto the bed. Ikkaku took his seat beside the man.

"And what about following Zaraki? Earning the right to die under his command?" Yumi hissed.

"There will be plenty of time ta do that after ya heal. Right now, ya need rest and a guard. I can do that much, at least." Ikkaku stated as he raised his hand to the open door and cast a kidou, much to Yumichika's wide eyed amazement. The room glowed for a moment as the reishi cage established itself against any escape.

"When did you?" Yumi asked breathlessly.

"About the same time ya learned about your kidou type zanpaktou." Ikkaku joked with a smirk. Yumi couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he pulled his legs up and under the blanket, followed by Ikkaku's body half falling on top of the covers. Such an odd friendship.

* * *

><p>"We're going." Jushiro insisted as he place Sogyo no Kotowari in his sash with a gentle tuck. Shunsui was right behind him, briskly grabbing his wrist.<p>

"No can do. Orders from Unohana are almost as scary as orders from Yama-jii. Do you really want to test them?" Shunsui asked rhetorically. Jushiro turned softly and sighed.

"I'm not leaving my men to fend for themselves." Jushiro returned.

"Then let me lead them. I can handle a few extras- no sweat." Shunsui said as he gave a gentle tug to his friend's wrist towards the bedroom they'd just exited.

"But I'm their leader. I can handle this." Ukitake demanded. Kyoraku took the moment to grab Jushiro's waist and haul him over one shoulder, much to his protest.

"No, you're not. You're resting." Shunsui carried the white haired man back into the bedroom and pinned him down on the bedding.

"Darn it, Shunsui! I can handle myself!" Jushiro demanded.

"On any other day, yes. But for today alone, let me protect you." Shunsui returned as he moved to seal the room.

"Fine." Justhiro grumbled in annoyance as he fell back on the bed, turning as far away from his friend as the covers elasticity would allow. Shunsui wasn't happy about keeping his friend locked in a bedroom, bored as could be. But he feared the ever awesome wrath of Unohana far more than he feared his friend's boredom.

"Come on- it's just for a few hours. Besides, it's not like you are missing anything." Shunsui happily jested, doing his best to try to cheer the other man up.

"Except that my men aren't seeing me as their leader. They just get to wait around while I lay here, ordered to pretend to be helpless." Jushiro scoffed. Shunsui almost flinched back with his friend's unusually harsh tone. He'd never heard the white haired man sound so angry, even when he was betrayed back when Aizen almost killed his subordinate.

"Whoa man. You are not helpless. I get that you aren't happy, but please just wait it out. You'll be up and about in better shape before thanks to-" Shunsui was cut off

"Thanks to a madman. Thanks to a madman who used me as a toy. Do you have any idea what that's like?! To be a doll for someone's insane experiment?" Jushiro turned back towards his pink clad friend, only to find Shunsui slowly backing up to give the other man some room to vent.

"Ok. Ok, I get it. So it's about revenge this round, huh?" Shunsui sighed. He'd never seen Jushiro- the ever quiet and refined scholar- even think about something a petty and meaningless as revenge. It was something Yama-jii had hammered into Shunsui's thick skull long ago, when he was just an annoying brat who liked to sneak into other people's quarters for pranks.

"No! Yes! I- darn it- I don't know." Jushiro said as he grabbed his haori and threw it across the room to land in a pile by the closet door. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, not knowing what the 'right' path was at the moment. A heavy hand found its way to his shoulder in comfort.

"It's ok. You don't have to think right now. I'm sure you'll see this later, but this is for your own good. You're angry- and you have every right to be. But don't let that anger set your path. This is not the path Jushiro Ukitake would take. Revenge for physical damage has never been your style- so stay here and vent. Smash something if you need to- but don't take on a hollow. They will only feast on that anger, and grow stronger from it." Shunsui began, rubbing the other man's shoulder with a gentle thumb, well aware that Jushiro was not in his typical calm mind.

"Damn it all." Jushiro murmured against the palm of his hand, which was blocking his mouth. Shunsui began to rise, but paused for a moment to think.

"I'll be back shortly. Then we can drink and vent to your heart's desire. Ok?" He said as he rested his unshaven chin against the other man's shoulder, mimicking the way they use to taunt each other back at the academy.

"Ok." Jushiro sighed as Shunsui smirked and placed a mock kiss against the other man's head, earning a false groan of disgust from the man. Jushiro watched as the pink clad taicho exit the door.

"By the way" Shunsui began before turning to his apparent captive. "This shield wasn't meant to keep you in, but I still advise you stay here unless you want to go back to being that Arrancar's pin cushion."

Jushiro watched as the man exited. For a moment he glanced to his fallen swords, then to his loosened belt, and back to the door. He chose the path of falling back onto the pillow and throwing another one at the closet door, just to relieve the tension in his mind. The reverberating clatter of the paper door made him smirk just a bit.

* * *

><p>Kensei was trusting that the kid would stay put. He was trusting that Shuuhei, his most loyal and worthy lieutenant, wouldn't be brash enough to attempt to take on a Hollow in his current state.<p>

Surely enough, today held many surprises.

Hence, why he was chasing down his obviously irrational lieutenant who managed to flash step just a bit further than him each time. He had to stop trusting that his men would be rational and reasonable.

"Shuuhei!" Kensei yelled as his lieutenant kept going.

"I can handle this, sir!" Shuuhei returned as he ceased his constant flash stepping long enough for Kensei to come within range.

"Bakudō #61. Rikujōkōrō!" Kensei roared as the six light rods slammed into Shuuhei's middle. Thankfully, the kid wasn't strong enough to break them on this round, and Kensei could approach the growling brat slowly.

"Damn it, Hisagi! What the hell were you thinking? You want to be killed by a Hollow?" Kensei started as he noted his troops following Mashiro towards the spiritual pressure.

"No, sir. But I can't just wait around either. I can handle this!" Shuuhei answered as he struggled against the restraints. Kensei sighed heavily as he kneeled beside the younger man.

"Not happening, Shuuhei. You can't fight in your condition. Let me take you back to the barracks and we can-" Kensei began.

"No! They need you on the battlefield! You can't just leave them to babysit some weakling like me!" Kensei's heavy hand on top of his slumped head caught his attention. His eyes were blurred with restrained tears, which toppled over his eyelids in a salt stream.

"Shuuhei Hisagi, in all my years as a taicho, you are by far the strongest lieutenant I've ever had. Why are you telling yourself otherwise? Over what some Hollow did to you? What happened back there was well out of your control, and you need to stop holding it over yourself. You don't get stronger by moaning over things. You survived Hueco Mundo. You made it back here alive. Now stop crying." Kensei growled with his trademark inspiring smirk as he shove a tear stream off of his lieutenant's face. Shuuhei found himself pulled into a heavy hug as he broke down. Kensei didn't say a word for a few minutes as he just held his blubbering second. He made a mental note to let this round slide, mostly because after everything his favorite brat went through, he couldn't blame the kid if he wanted to cry. Having no control over what someone else was doing to you was just insulting as a warrior, but to have your body hijacked for some sick experiments was beyond-

The Menos Grande's roar shook them both out of their stupor. The Hollows were getting closer by the minute. Kensei grabbed the still shaken Shuuhei and threw him over his shoulder.

"Hold on tight kid." Kensei ordered as he flash stepped back towards their barracks.

"But the Hollows!" Shuuhei questioned.

"They won't get inside the barriers at the taicho quarters." Kensei returned as he stepped faster.

* * *

><p>So, how does it read? Out of sorts for our favorite friends? Possibly romantic if you squint? I really need to know because I do want to improve, but this is the fun part about experiments: different perspectives. So please leave me a review of how this read to you. As usual: since this is an experiment into the mindset of how people deal with the after effects of trauma, please recognize that none of the irrational behavior above reflects on the author's sanity. I assure you, it's far more unstable than any of these guys.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

"HOW COULD YOU LOSE THEIR PRESSURE? ARE YOU DAFT?" Szayel roared as the lackey fumbled with the device. The small box dropped to the ground with a clatter, making the pink haired scientist even more outraged. He kicked the lackey once before turning toward another.

"Find them. It's bad enough you brought me the wrong taicho, but then you lost them to a bunch of shinigami? Find them now, or I'll reconstitute you all into Aizen-sama's tea!" Szayel barked as the lower level arrancars fled from the madman. He stormed his way towards the large building at the center of the Seireitei, knowing that there would be higher level shinigami towards the most protected parts.

"I wouldn't go there if I were you." The cheerfully playful voice of Kyoraku came through the night. Szayel stopped in his tracks as he looked towards the position of the eight taicho. He frowned deeper as he realized he hadn't even been paying enough attention to sense the power of the pink clad man.

"And what if I choose not to listen to you?" The arrancar responded. Kyoraku scoffed with a smirk at his opponent.

"Then you'll have to deal with Yama-jii if you manage to get through me." Kyoraku laughed as he rested his hand on Katen Kyokotsu for emphasis.

"Eighth division taicho- Shunsui Kyoraku. Ironic, as I am Octava Espada, Szayelapporo Grantz. Your weakness: drunk more often than not. Equivalent in strength to Ukitake taicho. Favorite for future First division sotaicho. You shouldn't be so arrogant." Szayel chuckled as he reached for his Fornicarás. Before his hand could close on the blade, he found Kyoraku's foot meeting his face. Plummeting backwards, his head met the ground in a sickening thud.

"Oh man, I think you misunderstood." Kyoraku smirked as he pulled his hat back up with his thumb.

"You-You aren't suppose to attack like that!" Szayel growled as he shoved himself off the ground.

"Aren't I? Last I checked, this was a battle, right? Anything goes?" The smirking taicho darkly chuckled. The arrancar didn't relent as he threw his hand to the side in irritation.

"All of my data showed that you were not an intentional fighter. You prefer negotiations to violence." Szayel attempted to rectify his incorrect conclusion. His data was always perfect! This shouldn't have been able to happen. No one should have been able to land a hit on him in battle unless he allowed it!

"And on any other day and any other way, yeah. But, you've overlooked a critical factor. You took my friend and did something awful to him. And I just can't get over that." Kyoraku launched himself forward with a disturbing gleam in his eye. He appeared above Szayel in an instant.

"What the-!" Szayel yelped as he caught sight of the man. None of his data included potential attacks from a passive fighter, so Kyoraku wasn't even on his radar when he was collecting battle strategic potential.

"Takaoni!" He spoke as he slammed Katen Kyokotsu down on the white clad arrancar. He almost dodged, but the blades ripped through the left shoulder of his uniform and coated themselves in the wet red solution.

"Gah!" He gasped, backing away as best he could. Before he could move again, Kyoraku was behind him.

"Irooni- white." He ordered. His blade sliced through the arrancar's midriff, leaving a massive gap in his center. Szayel fell to his knees, gasping for breath as it vanished from his lungs.

"You- you bastard!" Szayel roared as one of his minions slammed a large hand between the pair. Kyoraku backed off, apparently sated for a moment while he planned his next move.

"Don't think I've ever seen him react like that." A deep voice came from behind the pair. They both turned their heads to see Zaraki taicho standing on top of a roof with Yachiru hanging off his back and Hitsugaya slightly behind the pair. Matsumoto was on the ground behind the building confirming information about the situation to the twelfth division.

"Eleventh division- Kenpachi Zaraki." Szayel gasped as the blood began to fill his lungs. His minion moved to gather the broken body of his master, only to be greeted with a harsh smack against the massive paw.

"Stay out of this, Zaraki." Kyoraku warned in an usually dark growl. Zaraki laughed at his fellow taicho before pointing his zanpakuto at the brunet.

"Well I'll be damned! He gets his ass thrashed and you want revenge? I guess the bets were right about you two." Zaraki laughed with a smile. Kyoraku brushed it off without making move or well deserved gesture, but he silently promised to return the embarrassment to Zaraki later.

"I take it you won't interfere?" Kyoraku sought to confirm.

"Sure, sure. I'll take a sideline on this round." Kenpachi said as he sat down next to Yachiru on the rooftop. Hitsugaya remained standing with a polite nod towards the pair.

"You worthless little pests!" Szayel roared as he tossed five pellets out of his hand. They exploded on the ground into a fog, and sent the eighth division taicho into a coughing fit. Before the dust cleared, the monster and minion were gone. Kyoraku growled as his fingers tightened on the hard handles of Katen Kyokotsu before sheathing them. Zaraki scoffed as he muttered something about a waste of a great fight before sliding off the rooftop and running off to see the next battle.

* * *

><p>"Stay calm." Kensei ordered as he held a hand on the now shivering Shuuhei. Shuuhei assured himself silently that he wasn't scared, but anxious to fight. Or cold- but he was too hyperfocused on the noises outside to be cold. But he knew he didn't want to sit here and do nothing. His minor breakdown in front of Kensei had been bad enough, now he was shivering. He hadn't realized it before he was half dragged here by Kensei, but in all of his fussing, he'd managed to tear open a partially unhealed portion of the incision made by Szayel. The organ he'd shoved into the lieutenant's abdomen had remained, for the most part, ignored. He could make it through most of the day without even touching it, so it was quickly forgotten in light of the more psychological damage, which he chose to brew over like a barista with a new bean stash. Kensei had tried to pull him out of his funk, but overall, nothing had worked well. Shuuhei needed action to erase his insecurities, and with the no physical training orders, he was slowly going crazy.<p>

"I'm fine, sir. I can handle them." Shuuhei whispered. His confidence was ignored as Kensei gazed out the window of the darkened room. He didn't want to give any hollow any reason to suspect this heavily limited room of containing a single soul, so the lights needed to be doused while the waited out the attack. Kensei could still hear Machiro in the distance as her kicks broke through another wall (and another expense report). He would need to remember to teach that girl to restrain herself someday.

"I know you can, soldier." Kensei reassured as he pulled the kid into his lap. The closeness of body heat made Shuuhei uncomfortable, but he knew better than to try to argue with Kensei. After all, it seemed innocent enough, but the closeness of another man to his recently butchered abdomen made a progressively uneasy Shuuhei find his voice.

"Sir, I-" Shuuhei started out, uneasily trying to push himself off of Kensei's lap.

"Don't start." Kensei interrupted, much to Shuuhei's shock. He pulled the kid back down, well below the window sill as he kept watch.

"But sir, what if someone sees?" Shuuhei grumbled.

"Let 'em see. What's it to them? My lieutenant is injured, needs his rest, and we are under attack. I'm one of the only ones who can make a barrier like this, and it only works well when I'm close by. End of story." Kensei brushed off the almost blushing Shuuhei's question. Shuuhei quietly placed his head back down on his taicho's lap, relenting to the lost fight and the fact that this was going to be the longest night of his entire afterlife- assuming he didn't die from embarrassment first.

* * *

><p>He could still feel those clammy fingers gripping his arm as he lay in his new bed. The phantom sensation of a needle pricking the skin hadn't subsided tonight, and he kept looking over his shoulder to be greeted with the same blank wall he'd met fifteen minutes ago. The candle had died out; even though he mentally ticked off that he should have conserved the light. They were expensive for daily use, and light shouldn't have been wasted on his overactive imagination. During the daytime in division four, he managed to daydream about getting lost in a bottle of sake, but one of the release orders was heavily limited alcohol consumption. Every other time he'd received his rear on a silver platter, he could have laughed off that order without a single grudge. Today, he felt the need for some sort of mental inhibitor. Something- anything to get his mind off that wretched monster- booze, smokes, women, hell- even a man by this point. He needed distraction and purpose. He couldn't stand to sit and read for hours like the more patient shinigami, or practice his calligraphy like his taicho. Renji needed real action and real results. Part of him was assured that the stagnation was going to off him well before-<p>

Something moved in the darkened corner of his new bedroom, making him jump from his heavy covers. He tried to pin point it, but the blasted thing had stopped moving. He searched and searched, trying to train his eyes to move around the darkened corners for some form of life.

A mouse leapt from the corner, spooking Renji enough to fire a Red Flame Cannon out of habit. He landed on his rear as it exploded, missing the mouse by a mile. He cursed and growled, throwing his pillow across the room in frustration. As he ranted and screamed, a cold hand found its way to his shoulder. Renji jumped again, turning over to see who had come to retrieve him from his insane condition.

"Renji." Byakuya stated bluntly. Rukia was just behind him, the light of his candle barely illuminating her face as several guards followed her. Renji's tirade must have made more commotion than he'd realized. Embarrassment shrouded him as the guards were ordered to check the room and the grounds for any break ins.

"I'm sorry." Was all his robotic mind could offer as he sank onto the floor. His legs were suddenly very tired, despite all the kicking they'd performed at the illusive mouse.

"Don't be. We expected some of this. If you can't stay by yourself, you'll need to stay with someone else." Byakuya stated slowly as he rose from his sitting position.

"Nii-san, he can stay with me. We did it all the time when we were kids." Rukia volunteered. They could see the concern lacing her features, but Byakuya shook his head.

"No, Rukia. It would be rather scandalous for a young, unmarried maiden to sleep with a man in her room. Renji will stay with me." Byakuya insisted. Renji noted that it would be prime gossip if one of the noble families allowed their daughter, no matter how adopted, to sleep with a man in the room. Rukia would be labeled a loose girl, and teased to no end. The Kuchiki's would have an exceptionally hard time making a good marriage for her to another noble family, and his friend would be a target for any obnoxious girl to tease. He'd seen it growing up in the Rukon- the women were far worse than any man for unsightly commentary towards their friends and families. Gossip seemed to be the only way to pass the time while working, and the more vicious it was, the more they talked. The younger girls, who didn't have as much work to do, would often play terrible pranks on the orphan girls. They'd pull their hair, throw tree resin at their clothes, and shove them in the mud. It was just a heavy reminder that they didn't have a family to protect them like the kids who had a home.

"It's fine. I'm fine now. I can handle myself." Renji said, his voice wavering just a bit from his outburst.

"I'm afraid your reiatsu may say differently. It was flaring so badly, it woke us. It would benefit everyone if you slept in my chambers tonight." Byakuya reported, turning back towards the door, candle in hand.

"Yes, sir." Was all Renji could respond. His mind was busted and broken, and refused to compile a better response as he followed his taicho towards his night quarters. The back of his mind registered that he was so embarrassed about the whole situation, but Rukia was willing to help, so maybe this was the proper response? Had they been warned that he was going to be a total nutjob after the 'event'? Maybe they'd dealt with a relative who'd been crazy before his arrival? So many questions filled his head, doubts and debris of his ordeal- trashing his confidence and littering his mind with so much self doubt. Five months ago, he would never have thought even one of these idiotic thoughts. He would have been Renji Abarai: fukutaicho of the Sixth division, proud and strong! Not this man who couldn't even make it through a night without jumping at a mouse in his room.

A slowly emerging thought came into his mind as they walked. Why was there a mouse in the spotless Kuchiki mansion in the first place?

* * *

><p>"One of 'em's in the big mansion to the North!" A hollow minion chuckled as the mice like hollow seekers he sent out returned to his hands.<p>

"Good. And the last two?" Szayel's broken body was being healed by his minions, but it was a slow process without eating them. He needed them for just a few more minutes. As soon as he was back in Hueco Mundo, he'd drink them in his tea.

"The white haired shinigami is resting in his house, and the bitchy one is locked in the western quarters of the eleventh division. There are powerful barriers around both of them and the tattooed one." The hollow reported. Szayel sighed in relentless frustration.

"What about the helper?" He asked. This mission may need another try at this rate.

"Same issue, but he's in the tenth. Seems they locked all o' them up real good." The minion replied.

"Consider this mission aborted. They were expecting us this time. Send out a return signal. We regroup in my lab." Szayel stated as the larger minion gathered him into his arms and opened a gargantua.

* * *

><p>Ok, since something went wrong on the last upload, I fixed the botched names. It must have autocorrected Shuuhei to Shuhei, but I didn't realize it. So, if you don't mind, please review and tell me (nicely please) if I have a mistake. I'm human after all, and the response would be much appreciated. Even if it's not a critical review, just tell me you like it. I get the vibe this may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I am trying to keep towards the character's apparent personalities while modifying others to deal with psychological trauma (which I don't think I've ever experienced, so it's an interesting dive into another's mind). Thanks for reading so far. Your attendance has really made me happy.<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I'm just going to use taicho, not taichou. My computer won't change it as much if I use that one. So, unless someone's a stickler for it, I'll start the story. If you guys see anything wrong, please tell me. NorthernShinigami was kind enough to tell me last time when I botched reishi verses reiastu, so major thankies. And I found (long after it was posted) that I must have been thinking 10th with Hitsugaya, but I put Kenpachi's name with Hitsu's division. Seriously, please tell me if there's an error. I'm human. I screw up, and I was so embarrassed. I could also use a beta if anyone would like to volunteer.

* * *

><p>The Seireitei was still in shambles after Szayel's attempted theft. When the morning light first hit, no one had expected a large portion of the first division's tower to be missing, leaving the bleary eyed third division to awake to blinding light and headaches to rival a trip to the twelfth division.<p>

Kensei had left his charge when the first rays peeked over the walls, making sure not to wake his irrational lieutenant as he went to fetch breakfast. This outlandish behavior wasn't what the ninth taicho had signed up to deal with. He'd signed up to beat the crud out of hollows. He signed up to be respected by his division. He'd signed up for the worst dealings with Yamamoto, but not with an unexpectedly irrational lieutenant who'd he'd become unusually attached to. Sure, he could have taken the quick, cowardly route out and ditched the brat at Unohana's while he filed the paperwork for discharging Hisagi- and he would have for anyone lesser. But this was _Hisagi_. His conscience could never let him give the kid a forced life of peace without his zanpaktou or hollows (well, to a reasonable degree).

"Muguruma taicho." He turned to see Hitsugaya approaching him with Kuchiki and Kyoraku closely trailing behind at their own respectable paces.

"Any luck?" Kensei asked as he stood to greet them.

"We have our suspicions, but nothing so far." Hitsugaya spoke as he glanced over the brightly lit paths of the Seireitei. He'd left Kusaka, who he thought was still rather shaky over the whole incident, with Matsumoto. He hadn't planned to meet up with the other taichos, but Kyoraku and Kuchiki had found him on his way to Yamamoto. They just happened to run into Muguruma taicho when they started to head towards the first division.

"Suspicions?" Kensei asked as he began to walk with the other three.

"They knew too much. We tracked their path through the Seireitei. They knew where they were going. They knew which divisions to target. At cursory glance, one could say that they knew because they picked the victims from those divisions. But they knew that lieutenant Abarai was resting at my estate. They also were headed towards Ugendo, not the thirteenth division." Byakuya stated bluntly. Kensei had always remembered the bratty Kuchiki heir from over a hundred years ago, so seeing this regal man as he was today was a little strange. It was almost like looking at a younger version of Genrei, rather than Sojun's son. Then again, since Sojun had reportedly died at such an unexpectedly young age, Genrei must have been the main figure in young Byakuya's life. The Vizards hadn't been around when that change had taken over, but he heard it was a depressing month for everyone.

"So, we have a spy, then?" Kensei returned with his steadfast tone of confirmation.

"Yes and no." Hitsugaya responded.

"Eh?" Kensei gazed.

"We think we have an unintentional spy. A bug, if you will." Kyoraku replied as he nodded his hat downwards.

"How the hell can you have an unintentional spy?" Kensei gruffed.

"I still believe we have a spy, not a sympathy case." Byakuya huffed as he pushed forward.

"Kusaka isn't-!" Toshiro started as Kyoraku stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"We don't have much proof, just our suspicions. And that's not enough to convict someone, Kuchiki taichou." Kyoraku reminded the pair. Hitsugaya calmed down as Byakuya huffed on his way towards the Sotaicho's quarters.

"He thinks it's Kusaka?" Kensei asked as soon as Hitsugaya was out of an earshot.

"Kusaka was the only one they didn't approach. Therefore, either his usefulness has been used up, or he is the spy. Which doesn't make much sense, since the entire tenth division guard was watching the room and roof. And the barrier around the room wasn't tampered with all evening. There's no indication that Kusaka had any contact with the Arrancars, but there was a ping of reiatsu for less than a second coming from his body about 37 hours prior to the event. The twelfth division's radar's caught it. It didn't seem to be intentional, the kid doesn't have any control yet. He failed all of the standard tests Unohana ran on him. But that's not enough for-" They hadn't noticed it, but the other two had slowed down to hear what they were saying. The icy glare from Toshiro was enough to partially freeze the eigth division's taicho's spine.

"Then we'll have to see." Kensei silenced the two glaring individuals ahead of them.

* * *

><p>"Matsumoto?" Kusaka asked as he watched the lieutenant pour herself another drink. With his help, she'd finished filing all of the paperwork about thirty minutes after Hitsugaya taicho has relieved the young man to her care.<p>

"Yeah, cutie?" She asked as her blushing cheeks reflected her slightly buzzed state.

"Does- does Toshi-er- Hitsugaya taicho know that you drink so much?" Kusaka asked as he waved off another drink from the older woman.

"Yeaaahhhhh. He doesn't like it when I drink on duty. But it's so cool here! And there's not much left to do, since you came here!" Matsumoto responded drunkenly. Kusaka froze for a moment as he suddenly regretted assisting the drunken woman with her paperwork. He knew there was something fishy why the busty maid couldn't recall how much she spent on mission attire last week. How she could spend enough to buy a decent house the Rukon on clothing was beyond him.

"So, shouldn't we do something more productive?" Kusaka asked shyly.

"Oh? You're a little too young for my taste!" Matsumoto giggled, making the heavily robed man blush as he tried his best to keep calm.

"Not that, I meant is there anything left to do?" Kusaka grumbled as he shoved himself off the sofa towards Hitsugaya's desk. There had to be something that he could tinker with. He hated just sitting around watching a stereotypically beautiful woman booze herself out of her mind.

"Come on, it's bad enough they all suspect you from last night! Don't rummage through his papers!" Matsumoto blurted out. Kusaka stopped moving as soon as those words left her mouth.

"Wha- what did you say?" Kusaka turned slowly towards the busty woman. She was slumped over the couch with a sake bottle in her hand.

"Yeah, the taicho didn't want me to tell you, because it's just a suspicion, but they think you're the mole. So, are you?" Matsumoto asked bluntly as her fingers found their way towards Haineko's handle.

"What? No-o. I'm not helping that monster. Do you have any idea what the hell he did to us there? I wouldn't help him." Kusaka was trembling now, but didn't make any move to stop himself. Rangiku placed the sake bottle down on the table and moved towards the younger man.

"What exactly did he do to you, sweetie?" Rangiku asked as she pulled the younger man into her bosom. Kusaka's trembling had turned to frustrated shaking. His eyes began to water while his eyelids refused to closed, overflowing with tears as he watched his memories replaying in front of his eyes. His voice was lost in his stomach as his temporary guardian pressed the stagnant body into her own, doing her best to comfort the man.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Look, let's just find something simple-"

"Needles. Needles every day. Never knew what he was shooting into us. It hurt. It always hurt. I can still hear the others screaming." Kusaka's voice came from the warm air between their bodies, quieted and borderline mumbling. Rangiku has ceased her apology, wanting hear what she could. She silently reprimanded herself for crossing Hitsugaya's orders, but she thought it would be better started in good company than when he was hauled up to Yamamoto's office.

"I'm sorry." Rangiku finally uttered when she was certain that Kusaka had stopped. She pulled him onto the sofa and down into a lounging position. Once his head was situated lovingly on her lap, she began to stroke his hair. His eyes were still steeled open, unseeing and frightened.

"I hate him." Kusaka mumbled after a few minutes. Rangiku wasn't exactly sure who 'him' was in this context, but she assumed it was better not to ask.

"He's not going to find you here. We'll protect you. Toshiro won't let anything happen to you." Rangiku replied slowly in her softest voice.

"Yes, he will. He'll turn me over to the Soutaicho. They'll send me back to him." Kusaka whispered.

"No. No. Toshiro's done some strange things in the past, and his word is trusted here. He won't let anything happen to you. You're precious to him." Rangiku placed a small kiss on his head, keeping her hair stroking to a gentle pace.

"Ok. Ok." Kusaka's eyes finally relaxed a bit. Before too long, he seemed to have fallen asleep. Rangiku didn't have the heart to risk waking him if she moved, so she settled into the sofa until her taicho returned.

* * *

><p>"I'm placing the Second squad on watch. Hitsugaya taicho." Yamamoto addressed.<p>

"Yes, Soutaicho." Hitsugaya responded without hesitation.

"You will need to stay by Kusaka at all times from now on. I want him as closely monitored as possible." Yamamoto ordered.

"Of course, Soutaicho." Toshiro had to hold back a small smile, appreciative that he would have to spend time with his best friend now.

"As for the rest of them- they are to remain at their barracks until further notice." Yamamoto ordered with a bang of his staff.

"Request for exception with my fukutaicho. I can monitor him better with my guards at my family estate. His hallucinations and outbursts will only be a distraction at the Sixth, and the stress would add to his recovery time." Kuchiki taicho asked.

"Approved." Yamamoto responded.

"Ditto for Ukitake. You know he'll only work himself to exhaustion if he's staying at the Thirteenth, Yama-ji." Kyoraku jokingly requested.

"Approved on condition that you stay with him. I know you, Shunsui." Yamamoto laughed. Shunsui smiled as he tipped his hat towards the elder as his signature smirk returned to his lips. He knew this wasn't going to be 'free time', but at least no one would steal Jushiro away while he was on duty. And he could drink just a little while his friend was hammering away at paperwork.

"Yes sir."

* * *

><p>"Up!" Kensei hauled the slumbering fukutaicho from his position in bed, throwing him on the floor. Hisagi gasped as he hit the floor, startled from his lovely dream. He'd actually managed to corral Kazeshini's power and had a date for the evening! Why would anyone-<p>

"Huh?" He gapped as he pushed himself off of the floor. Kensei's foot was on his backa moment later, pushing him back down.

"Come on! It's bad enough you're on restrictive service, you won't crap out on me, rookie! 100 pushups, NOW!" Kensei shifted his full weight onto the kid's back, giving him actual resistance to work with.

"Ye-yes s-sir!" Hisagi began his morning routine. He'd gotten used to being allowed to sleep so much, he'd forgotten about the typical morning exercises that Kensei wanted him to do. Even as his muscles screamed from use, he felt a slightly warm sense of normalcy returning to him.

* * *

><p>"No, Kuchiki taicho." Renji huffed as the guards made their way towards their new posts. Mostly consisting of retired Shinigami and former mercenaries, the Kuchiki guards were a force to be reckoned with. These particular twenty guards had been pulled from the former Second squad, and were lethal when they wanted to be. They used to be Rukia's private guard before she became too old to have male guards.<p>

"I don't think you have much say in this matter, Renji. It's for your best interests." Byakuya stated bluntly as the last of the guards settled into his position, stiff backed and staff ready.

"I'm not a child, I can handle myself. You said it yourself, I earned my position-" Renji began.

"You have earned your place here. I'm not removing you from duty, I'm providing you a guard by Yamamoto Soutaicho's orders to protect you and allow you to recover without worry. Please don't fight this, Renji. You need real rest. You haven't slept through the night since your return." Byakuya sighed quietly, trying to ignore the headache growing in the back of his skull. He knew that the keen ears of the Second Squad could hear him, but he also knew they didn't

"I don't need a nurse maid." Renji growled.

"No, you need a mandated guard, and the Sixth needs to stay on track. Now, unless you'd prefer I stay with you, I need to get back to work while you rest." His frustration with the argumentative man growing faster than he was comfortable with, Byakuya rose to leave.

"I'm sorry." Renji's voice shattered his thoughts as he reached the door.

"Excuse me?" Byakuya asked, caught off guard by the angry man.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just… I-I don't think I can be your fukutaicho anymore." Renji admitted. It only took Byakuya a moment to decide what the best move to make was. He was actually very far ahead on paperwork, since there wasn't much to do with Renji hospitalized earlier. He slid the door shut to the guards and turned back.

"Don't start that. You are the only person qualified to be my fukutaicho. There is no one, not one damnable soul, who could do your job as well as you do. Please" Byakuya took his place beside the bed, deciding against returning to the Sixth at three in the afternoon "If I stay with you, will you rest?"

"Yes, sir." Renji replied as he laid back down. Byakuya chose not to remark on slightly more relaxed position of Renji's shoulders. He'd been so stiff the last few days, it was beginning to concern the Kuchiki heir. There was always a possibility of muscular damage that Unohana had missed.

"And Renji." Byakuya addressed.

"Yes sir?" Renji responded sleepily.

"Call me Byakuya while you're here." He didn't miss the small smile that painted its way onto Renji's lips with a nod.

* * *

><p>Gah. I think I'm losing my mind. Will attend to the others next chapter. REVIEWS MAKE ME WRITE. And chocolate makes me crazy.<p> 


End file.
